Her Year of Happiness
by Swiftfire100
Summary: (Mid-way sequel of sorts to A Story About Love) What happened during the year Gwen/Verity and Eren were a couple? A look at each of the months leading up to her end, from the first month to the last. With some insights into her past and future. Eren X OC (known as Erwen/Ereity) Rated T for swearing and innuendo! Hope you guys love it!
1. Prologue

From the twenty-fourth journal of Gwen Fireheart, written September 5th:

There is a little bit of darkness in everyone. That darkness can manifest itself in many forms, such as a weapon, anger, or belief, but it depends on the user if it is good darkness or bad darkness. My darkness is the worst of all for the simple reason that I am aware of it. I cannot control it, I don't know why it exists for me, but I know its name. And its name is the worst name you could give the darkness. It is death. Death is my darkness and I know that it will claim me someday. For now, I must live with my emotions and my terrible power, what it has done to my friends, one by one. I only ask this one question, just one. When will my life begin to mean something other than death? I fear I will never find this answer…


	2. First Month- October

First Month (October):

Gwen was standing with five other comrades of her regiment, looking up at the commander of the Survey Corps, Erwin Smith. She and the other five had been sworn into the Corps, and were now waiting to hear their assignments. Eren, Levi, a woman with glasses, and a tall brunette girl were standing at attention, waiting for the new recruits' assignments as well. Gwen glances at Eren and manages to catch his eye. They had been dating for a week and a half now and, finally, her life began to mean something to her. A song echoed through her head and she smiled, despite herself, but thankfully nobody noticed, except her Eren, who winks at her. Erwin turns to the person to her left, Dimetry Waltz, and assigns him to the girl with glasses' squad. Dimetry goes up to the stage and stands behind the girl, saluting. Erwin turns to her, smiling, and Gwen salutes, looking at his eyes. Erwin motions for both Levi and Eren to step forward to stand beside Erwin on the stage. "Eren has formally made the request for Trainee Fireheart to join the elite Squad Levi. Does the squad captain allow this?"

Erwin turns to Levi, who stares down at Gwen, the emotions on his face uncertain. Eren crosses his fingers behind his back, hoping his girlfriend makes the cut, silently willing Levi to say yes. Levi grins in a devilish way down at Gwen, seeming to have made up his mind. "I, Captain Levi, deny her membership in Squad Levi," Levi juts out his chin and walks back to his spot, motioning for Eren to do the same. The emotions on Gwen's face were shock, sadness, resignation to her job in the back, where she'd die. Eren was frozen, staring down at Gwen, her emotions hitting him like a wave, and he couldn't believe what Levi had said, despite what he was told the night before. Eren walks back, trying hard to think of something, anything, to allow her into the squad. Eren freezes, a step in front of Levi, and looks up, turning back to Erwin, who is watching him. "Commander Erwin, Captain Levi, can I talk to you in private for a moment, about Gwen?" Eren asks and Levi growls quietly, so that only Eren could hear him. Eren, however, ignores Levi and goes to the back of the stage. Erwin soon follows, with Levi close on his heels.

"What is the meaning of this?" Erwin asks Eren, the formal voice dropped in favor of anger toward Eren. Levi just raises an eyebrow, glaring at Eren, then motions for Eren to continue. Eren glances upward, then looks directly at Erwin, silently making his last prayers to God, for Gwen has promised to destroy him for telling them, "Gwen is a quarter Titan. She has all the powers of a Titan without having to transform. The one issue is that her emotions are haywire, but if she were to have an outlet for those emotions, she'd be your most valuable soldier," Eren says in a rush to the two shocked soldiers. "Maybe if she were to have a boyfriend for her strongest emotion, love. Maybe then she would be more than useful to Squad Levi," Eren adds and Levi blinks. "You think this is a motherfucking game? We're dying out as a race, and all you can think about is your fucking GIRLFRIEND?" Levi screams and Eren just stands there, looking at him. "I'm thinking about our survival as a race. He powers are more unique than mine and she would be very useful to us," Eren says evenly, barely flinching when Levi slaps him across the face. Erwin contemplates what Eren has told them as the two of them fight, and he finally comes to a conclusion. "Stop, Levi," Erwin pushes Levi away from Eren's bleeding body, then motions for Levi to get Gwen.

Gwen stands around, looking anxious and seriously hoping that Eren didn't tell her secret to Levi and Erwin. She didn't know what she would do if they knew, her power was an uncontrollable monster. Even so, if it would allow her to be with Eren, then she'd talk to Levi later, with Eren to back her up. As soon as she came to that conclusion, Levi appeared from behind the stage, glaring at her, and gestures for her to follow him. She jumps forward, running behind Levi, until she sees a horrible scene. Erwin is sitting next to Eren, who is lying on the ground, unconscious, bruised and bloody. Gwen forgets her manners and runs to him, checking his pulse, and when she realizes that he's slowly dying, turns to Erwin. "What happened?! What attacked him? Why-" Gwen's voice breaks and she lies her head on Eren's chest, sobbing. Erwin kneels down next to her and takes her hand, causing Gwen to look at the commander. "He told us that you have the powers of a Titan,"

She gasps and looks back at Eren. "He died defending me from you guys?" Gwen whispers and Erwin shakes his head. "No, but you can save him. A Titan can heal. Use your healing power on him. Prove to us that you are indeed a quarter Titan," Erwin says to her and she looks back to Eren's bloody face. She smiles despite herself and draws her knife. "I'm not sure if it'll work, but I'll goddamm try if it kills me," Gwen says and makes an inch long cut on her arm with her knife, barely even feeling the pain. She gently teases his mouth open and he wakes, looking up at her. "Shh, I'm here, dear, sweet, Eren. I'm trying something to save you, but you can't move, okay?" He blinks once and she opens his mouth wider and drips her blood into his mouth, whispering, "Drink it. It's the reverse of my 'vampire thing'," Gwen says with a smile, then pulls her arm back. The cut slowly disappears before Erwin and Levi's astounded eyes, and she grins. "That's the first example," She says to them, then turns back to her patient, rubbing his face with her hands.

"Now for example two," Gwen says quietly, then kneels down and kisses Eren full on the lips. Levi steps forward, about to say something, but Erwin stops him, watching Eren's body slowly heal. She moves back, pulling up Eren as well, and still kisses him. They hold each other, lips locked, until Eren's body glows with a healthy light. They finally break away, looking into each other's eyes, then Gwen turns back to the amazed soldiers. "Am I going to be in Squad Levi?" Gwen asks them and she feels Eren nod vigorously beside her. She also notices his strong need to have her with him and mentally files away this new information for later. Erwin looks down at Levi, who is still standing stock still, shocked. Erwin looks back at the couple and looks directly at Gwen. "Is that your only power or do you have others?" Erwin asks her and she grins. "Examples three through nine will be shown in training and battle," Gwen says and Eren looks at her. "What's three through nine?" Eren asks and she mouths, "I'll tell you later," then turns to Levi. "So, am I in?" Gwen asks, hope in her eyes and a smile on her face. Levi finally breaks out of his shock and nods. "If you use your powers only to aid us, with your emotions hidden until you are only with Eren, then yes, you are in,"

Gwen's eyes light up and she leaps up, pulling Eren with her. "Yes! Eren, we're gonna kill Titans together!" Gwen screams and hugs Eren, who hugs her back just as tightly. Levi raises his eyebrow, then sighs. "Emotions are going to be the death of you one day," Levi tells her and her face grows grave. "That may be true," she says seriously, scaring all three of them, then runs off, pulling Eren with her, still cheering. Erwin watches the two of them and looks at Levi. "Do you think her other powers are what we have heard from in her training days?" Erwin asks and Levi nods. "Her strength is unmatched, her speed better than anyone else, her stamina off the chart, and her agility greater than even me. If she is who she says she is, then we might have another answer to the Titan Shifter mystery," Levi says, watching Eren show her where their training grounds were on the map. "She might just be the perfect soldier, with her talents used to help humanity and Eren to give her emotions something to play with," Erwin replies and Levi nods briefly. "You'd better give the other trainees their assignments. I'll watch the happy couple," Levi says in clipped tones and Erwin nods, then leaves. In the distance, above Gwen's head, a golden heart made from teardrops hovers above her and vanishes.

A week later:

They were sitting together, under the tree near her room, just looking at the sky. Gwen remembers how she could feel Eren's emotions a week ago, when she got into Squad Levi, and turns to Eren. She takes his hand, smiling, and focuses on what she felt earlier. Suddenly she feels, through some sort of silver cord, his emotion at the moment, but that wasn't the part that made her worried. She could sense his thoughts. Eren was thinking of a tranquil world like this outside, with no Titans to interfere. She let go of his hand and snuggles closer to Eren. "What are you thinking of? Be honest," Gwen says quietly and Eren smiles at her. "I'm thinking of what a wonderful day it is, just me, my love, and no work to worry about," Eren says and tickles her neck, causing her to giggle. "Is there something wrong?" Eren asks her and she looks down at their entwined hands. "I know you're lying to me. You're thinking of a tranquil world like this outside, with no Titans to worry about."

****Eren looks down at her sharply and she rushes to continue. "I think, when I transferred my blood to you, I accidentally caused a bond to form between the two of us. I can feel your emotions and sense your thoughts," Gwen finishes and Eren just smiles. "Maybe I let that happen. You never know if I'll need you to know where I am if you're lost, or if I'm hurt," Eren says with a smile. Gwen grins up at him, at a loss to say any words, then hugs him. "I do have a question for you," Eren says to her after she stops hugging him. "What is it?" Gwen asks and he blushes. "Could I call you Verity instead of Gwen? It's a perfect name for you and I want you to be proud of who you are," Eren asks her and she smiles, then nods. He takes her chin in his hands then kisses her on the lips, with her hands on his cheeks.


	3. Keep The Faith

From the twenty seventh journal of Gwen Fireheart, written October 28th,

So many things happening now, my life is a whirlwind of adventure, Eren, and blood. My darkness is now used for Eren's sake, to protect him and help him. I have killed to keep him alive, both Titans and humans have fallen to me, and I have no regrets for what I've done. My conscience must be marred with black with the amount of blood I have tasted in fight and in murder. And yet, my darkness still calls for my blood, with it's strange power to keep me alive, but I have no need to worry, at least for now. I shall be safe if I believe in what I have, not what I got. I am strong. I am brave. I am the Deadly Angel, the warrior that fights the Titans with my emotions and my blades. Keep the faith and don't forget to look forward, not backward.


	4. Second Month- November

Second Month (November):

_She stands at a crossroads, looking at the dusk with the walls in the far distance, not sure which way to go. There is a storm happening around her and lightning lights up the path behind her. One path, she somehow knows, will take her back to being Verity, the other will allow her to continue going down the path she has chosen so far. The wind blows around her, and her hat flies off, making her hair fall out of the ponytail she had it in. A figure appears before her in a black cloak, hood up, and it grabs her hat. She can hear its voice crackling, telling her to choose her destiny, but at a great price for either choice. Her eyes drip tears at the thought of this, but can't imagine what the other choice will bring her. The shadowy figure throws her hat at her and she catches it, hearing the last words of the figure before it disappears. It told her that one choice will end her days, but the other will end her heart. She looks back down the path she came from and realizes there is no path. She takes a deep breath and, swallowing her tears, takes a step forward, toward the path she has chosen when she went into Trost as the thunder crashes and the lightning wakes her._

Gwen falls out of bed and looks around, realizing that the dream she had was the same one from when she made the choice that she knew would be her end. Gwen looked out the window and saw that it was still dark, but she couldn't sleep. So much has happened in the last two months since her and Eren had gotten together. She reflected on the time she had made the wish, the one that she knew would be the reason she died. She would have to start planning, so that Eren would know what to do when she...Gwen didn't want to think of that anymore, not after the dream, still so vivid in her mind. She decided to pay Eren a visit, in the middle of the night. It wasn't like he had visited her a billion times at one in the morning, but she had never visited him at night. She picked up her torch and pulled on her boots and woolliest jacket, then put in her contacts and locked her room, then set off for Eren's room. At night, things were almost peaceful, like there was no such thing as Titans or death. Gwen could almost forget their current situation, the hell they had to live through.

She passed under the bridge that marked the barrier between the girls' side of the barracks and the boys' side, then made for Eren's room, using her torch to light her way. She finally made it to Eren's room, number 247, and quietly knocked on his door. Gwen breathed in and out slowly, like Levi had taught her, and tried to control her happiness. He finally opened the door and smiled immediately when he saw it was her. Eren took her hand and pulled her inside, pushing her into his chair. She looked at his rumpled pajamas and hair, his bleary eyes blinking at her, still tired, but he was clearly happy to see her, not caring that she came to visit late. Eren hugged her and, through their bond, she could feel his worry at what he saw etched on her face. "Why do you look so troubled? Did you have a bad dream?" Eren asks her gently, stroking her face and hair. Gwen nods once and says, "I don't want to think about my dreams right now. Did I wake you?" Eren smiles at her anxious expression and shakes his head. "I wasn't really sleeping. Too busy thinking about next month's expedition. It'll be our first one together," He says with a grin and she can't help smiling back at that.

"My second expedition in general though, and the risk of either of us dying is still there, don't you realize that?" Gwen says and he slides back into bed, a pensive expression on his face. "I don't think we'll die, what with our powers and status. And Levi would strangle himself if either of us were killed. I think he likes having two perfect soldiers on his Squad," Eren says ruefully and Gwen nods. "I really think there's some ulterior move to why he agreed to me being on Squad Levi in the first place, though," Eren's eyes widen and he scratches his head. "There is someplace he's trying to get to, within Wall Maria," Eren says and she glares at him. "You know?" she says, accusatory, and his face goes down sadly then his eyes light up. "D'you want to sleep here?" Eren asks, a hopeful expression on his face, and her face turns bright red.

"I-I um, don't know, if, um, that's a good idea," Gwen stammers and Eren's face turns a similar color. "I don't mean like that, I just meant you can sleep here with me tonight. I think I'll sleep better if I knew you were here, with me, safe," Eren hurriedly explains and she sighs in relief. "I think I would like that. But don't get any ideas, Eren," Gwen says and comes to the bed, climbing into it, and snuggles close to Eren's warm body. She rolls to her side, looking up at his smiling face, and kisses him on the cheek. Eren scowls and shakes his head, then takes her face and tilts it upward, saying, "You missed," and kisses her. When they finally came up for air, Eren hugs her close and she sighs happily. Eren gets under the covers and she does as well, holding his hand underneath, blushing a bit. "Is it wrong if I, um, want to see you without your shirt at least?" Gwen asks awkwardly and Eren's eyebrow arches upward. Without a word, he slides off the bed and stands, then pulls off his shirt and throws it in the laundry basket, then gets back into bed.

Gwen gapes at him, and he grins at her playfully. She stares at his chest and he waves his hands at her. "Yes, it's a male chest. Do you like it?" Eren says and she slowly pokes it. "It's so...nice," Gwen says and she turns over, trying not to yawn. "I'm getting kind of tired, could we talk about this later?" She mumbles and slides out her contacts, putting them in a cloth she takes out from her pocket. Eren sighs and gets his shirt, putting it back on, and slides down into the bed next to her, stroking her hair. Gwen turns off the light and curls up in the bed close to him and they fall asleep together.

_She is on the side of the wall, chained, screaming Eren's name over and over again. There is a terrible wind howling around them and the sky is blood-red, reflecting the bloodlust in all the Titans' eyes surrounding the wall. The hooded figure stabs a knife into the chains, holding them in place, and draws out a broken blade. The Titans surrounding the wall all take a step back at once, eyes on the blade. Gwen screams Verity's name and the figure looks down at her. Gwen barely catches her reply of there being no more time left for her choice. Gwen's final choice was her death. Her end was her fatal choice and there was no more time. Gwen screams how she had made her decision so very long ago, how Eren was her dying wish, and her wish was the best ever._

_Verity says nothing, just picks up the unconscious form of Eren and waves his body around, taunting her with jabs at her emotional stability, and ends with something about watching her boyfriend perish before her. Gwen's head jerks upward at that, screaming Eren's name, begging him to wake up, but to no avail. Verity throws him over the side, and she can see his face, half dead, fall past her, going down to the Titans, who start devouring him when he lands. Gwen screams his name, sobbing, trying to get out, but her superhuman strength has failed her, like all her other powers. She can only watch her love be murdered before her eyes, without any fight at all. Gwen lets her head hang down, crying, trying not to let her emotions get the best of her, but they do anyway. She is able to pull her arms out of the chains, then one leg, then the other, feeling an adrenaline that she never felt before. She pulls the knife out of the chains and jumps down to the ground, counting the miles as she falls._

_At the end, just when she about to hit the ground, Gwen puts the knife through herself, so that the Titans don't eat her, so she can see him. Her choice had not saved all of humanity, but she had made her peace with death at last, tasting blood that was her own. It was a death that she knew would not allow her passage to heaven, but to the middle, where she knew she had always belonged. Her final moments were spent slipping away slowly, feeling death claim her. She was glad, at least, that her soul had been cleaned of the blood she had carried for so long. Now, she could rest in peace. Gwen closed her eyes and sighed, feeling the ground. Verity slipped away as well, and she died._


	5. Preperation

From the twenty ninth journal of Gwen Fireheart, written December 1st:

The dreams, they haunt me. I cannot sleep anymore without seeing the visions of my death. All the blood, bad choices, and the pain, it hurts so much. Eren dying is the worst part for me, always. I could not save him, could never have saved him. And that's what hurts the most for me. I have contemplated just ending my story early, giving up. The Titans always keep me from killing myself though, because they exist and they shouldn't, not when human monsters like me live. Which reminds me, tomorrow is the day when all my waiting, dreaming, hoping comes to pass. My first expedition outside the walls with Eren is tomorrow! The Titans will have to be careful, because a killer is coming for them. I just hope nobody gets in the way.


	6. Third Month- December (Part 1)

Third Month (December):

Gwen stood in front of the door to the outside, mentally preparing herself for the moment when she rode out on her horse alongside Eren outside the walls. She pushed her hands into fists and muttered words of encouragement as she opened the door. Eren stood there, a grin on his face, and took her hand. "They have all the Gear packed for us, so we don't need to grab anything. Why are you looking so dour?" Eren asks her and Gwen manages a smile. "I'm just worried I won't survive this. That you'll be bringing me home in a body bag, or worse," Gwen lies and Eren immediately pulls her close to him, as if into a hug, but not quite. "That won't ever happen, not as long as I'm here," he whispers into her ear. Gwen smiles and pulls his hand. "Let's go, then. Time to face the music," Gwen says and they start walking to where Levi is waiting. Over the past few weeks, Gwen and Levi had developed a weird friendship. Levi respects her and she looks up to him as a mentor, but they haven't had much contact since her induction into his squad.

They walk, each in their own thoughts, until the wall looms up before them, an intimidating reminder of their situation and of what the Survey Corps are about to do. Gwen mutters something that Eren does not catch, and he squeezes her hand in response. Their horses are waiting, near the back, and the couple get on their respective horses. Eren's horse, named Skyfall, is a white stallion, and Gwen's is a black mare named Flash. Levi sees them on their horses and he wheels around to them. "Eren, you and Gwen will be with me when we go out. Don't do anything until I give the signal," Levi tells them curtly, then goes forward. Finally, the parade of soldiers start walking out, the citizens cheering. Some, but not all, point at Eren and whisper, but he ignores them. They go out, and the Corps start riding to Wall Maria. Gwen and Eren go up to the center, as the different squads break away into formation. They ride in silence, seeing the occasional Titan, but the peripheral squads quickly kill them. Eren touches Gwen's shoulder and feels her worry at not having her Gear on her for protection. "I'll get our Gear," he whispers to her and she looks up at him, relieved.

Eren moves forward to where Levi is, and whispers the situation into his ear. Levi nods and points at a nearby carriage, with two Gear inside. Eren rides away and jumps into the carriage, strapping on his Gear and grabbing the other. His horse runs next to him and Eren climbs on, relishing the speed, and turns back to Gwen, who watches the whole thing, anxiety pouring out from her. He straps on her Gear for her and they ride on, focused on their task. The soon reach the Forest of Giant Trees and everyone rides through, keeping close to one another. This is the moment where everything goes wrong, as Gwen had feared. A group of Titans quickly overtake Squad Levi and leap forward, one after the other, trying to catch the humans. Levi and the other three soldiers in the squad immediately switch to 3D Maneuver Gear and Eren jumps off his horse, biting his thumb and turning into his Titan. Only Gwen hadn't moved, shocked at how her prediction had come true. Eren roared and tackled the Titan that would have eaten her, ripping it apart mercilessly. Gwen finally reacted and switched to her Gear, swinging up to where Levi was standing.

Neither say a word as each of the Titans begin crowding Eren's Titan, trying to kill him. Eren rips them apart mercilessly, barely thinking, when he is attacked by an Aberrant, who chews at his arm. Gwen screams his name and jumps down, releasing her hooks just in time, and swings toward Eren, dodging the Titans. One Titan attempts to grab her and she grapples around it, killing it with her blades. Levi watches from above, noting her movements and seemingly endless energy, jumping off from tree to tree and slicing up Titans with an almost vicious face, eyes blank and face streaked with the blood of her enemies. Levi can't resist a shudder, wondering if Gwen had ever felt the need to practice her fighting skills on citizens, and instantly rejected the thought. If Gwen had killed humans in cold blood, everyone would know and Levi would have no choice but to court-martial her. Levi tries not to think about that, instead watching as Eren roars in agony at the pain of the Titan on his arm. Gwen couldn't bear hearing his screams any longer, leaping down to the Aberrant's neck and sliced at the weak point, killing it instantly. Levi winced at his prize soldier's torn up arm and almost missed Gwen's unemotional face, the scary change from sweet, loving, emotional Gwen to an inhuman killer.

The blood from Eren's arm was too much for Gwen, she snaps into a cold-blooded rage, barely feeling any emotions except hatred and anger. Gwen seems to grow a foot, with her red-gold hair spiraling around her, reflecting in the sunlight and turning into a curtain of golden blood like a halo. Through the blood-red haze over her eyes, Gwen sees Levi take a step back, tumbling off the tree, screaming, as he falls close to a Titan. Levi tries to release his grappling hooks at the nearest tree, but his fingers have gone numb and he couldn't move from sheer terror at what he was seeing. Gwen moves into action, running at a pace that would have shamed an Aberrant, and catches him moments before he hit the ground, not realizing how fast she moved. Levi, however, did, and couldn't believe how swift she was. Gwen laid him on the ground, her eyes now a deep black and her body trembling from power and a scary energy that seemed to pour from her, then ran toward the Titan, despite the fact that it was a 15 meter class. She stood in front of it, staring it down, and the Titan actually took a step back from it, much to Levi's open-mouthed surprise. A blood-red aura surrounded her as Gwen stepped forward and grappled up above it and flipped over the Titan, blocking its escape.

She killed it as quickly as she had moved before, actually licking at the blood that fell out of the Titan, as if she was literally tasting the blood of her victims. Levi slowly realized that he was getting scared of this Gwen, the Titan-Gwen that wasn't truly a Titan. This Gwen wasn't human, she was a monster, no worse. She was a demon, forced to live on Earth, helping the humans from the creatures that preyed on them, but maybe she wasn't just protecting them, not when she acted like this. A shadow loomed over Levi and he slowly turned, seeing a Titan already reaching toward him. He couldn't move, couldn't make a noise, just watch the Titan slowly pick him up, about to eat him. A sound escapes his throat and Gwen turns, blank black eyes taking in the situation, then moves into action. Moments later, the Titan falls, dead, and Levi is in her arms for the second time that day. She lies him down and slowly looks at the wounds on his chest.

"That Titan squeezed you pretty hard. D'you want me to heal you?" Gwen asks in a dead-sounding voice, a voice void of all the emotion she normally carried, and Levi slowly nods, terrified that if he said no, she would fly off the handle and kill him. Gwen rips a small knife out of a sheath on her belt and digs it into a vein on her arm, causing a surprisingly large amount of blood to trickle out. She then holds out the arm to his mouth, whispering in the same dead voice to drink it. He does reluctantly, noticing that her blood tastes sharp and tangy, a hint of salt in the background, and he can't help but gag a tiny bit. Slowly, his chest stops hurting and heals until he is able to breathe again. That's the moment when everything changes, when Eren would have cursed and screamed bloody murder if he weren't busy fighting Titans, because Gwen is picked up by a random Titan that came out of nowhere and is swallowed in a blink of an eye. In her last moment, Gwen sees Verity floating next to her, smiling sadly and her body gives up, letting her maniac energy flow out of her until the blood-red haze is gone.

**A/N: Thanks to the kind messages and faves on this story and the other one! You guys are the best! I will post the part 2 to this soonish, but not anytime this week, as Parent-Teacher conferences are coming up at my boarding school. After that though, my break starts and I'll post it then! **


	7. Third Month- December (Part 2)

Levi stares at the Titan who swallowed Gwen moments before, too startled to move. The Titan slowly reaches for him and he moves out of the way, not wanting the same fate as Gwen. Levi lets out a terrible screech of agony at the thought of the girl he had admired and feared lying in the Titan, dead. Eren hears the screech and runs forward, tackling the Titan before it can eat Levi, ripping it to shreds, roaring all the while. Levi tries to find his voice, croaking for Eren to stop, that Gwen was in it, to please save her. Eren's Titan stops when he hears Gwen's name and he presses at the Titan's chest slowly, carefully, until he feels something. Eren's eyes widen and he screams a sound that broke Levi's heart. Eren rips off the Titan's head, trying to get to the stomach to rescue his love. Levi could only watch, still in a dazed shock, until Eren reaches into the Titan's dead body and pulls out a slimy girl, shivering and sobbing. Her hair is matted to her scalp, but the color is unmistakable. It's her, barely alive, and clearly back to her emotional self.

Gwen remembers being in the stomach of her prey, holding her arms and trying not to cry, and thinking of a way to escape, but nothing came to mind, save for the fatal knowledge that she would leave in a death more gruesome than her worst nightmares. She tried not to think about that, instead trying to focus on her equilibrium, her peace of mind after her storm of fury and hate. Suddenly, the body of the Titan rocked around, causing her to fall all over the place and she realized that someone, or something, was attacking her jailer. Gwen fell into the liquid of the Titan's stomach and gasped for air, letting the tears flow out now, not holding back. When the wall of flesh above her was ripped open, she let out a wail of joy, but was drowned out by the roar of what she hoped was Eren's Titan, saving her life. Suddenly the body stopped moving and a couple huge fingers pressed against the chest, feeling her, and pulling back. A heart-wrenching sound is heard, causing Gwen to cover her ears, and it breaks her heart. She returns to sobbing, crying at how terribly sad the voice outside felt, how it had almost lost the love of his life (she was still hoping it was Eren), and almost screamed when the hand came out and picked her up, gently, and pulled her back into the world of the living. Gwen looked up and saw the face of her love's Titan form, saw the round, emerald eyes of the human she loved staring back at her and she smiled for the first time since they had entered the forest, the place of anger and death.

**A/N: Sorry it's so short, but school and personal issues have taken over my life. I WILL finish this, but don't expect a chapter until maybe mid-April. If I can finish this before then, I will, but for now, please accept my most sincere apologies.**


	8. Uncertain Future

From the thirty-fifth journal of Gwen Fireheart, written December 23rd: I have successfully avoided Levi for three weeks now, hiding in my room, with Eren, or in the library a couple blocks away from where the barracks are, reading or writing in this journal. I can't bear to see him after the failed expedition at the beginning of the month. I've been known to both rant and lament in these journals, but right now, all I feel is worry that he'll confront me about my dangerous warrior side, the part of me that I cannot control. Eren seems to think he admires me now because of my dark side, but I refuse to believe it. After my near-death experience, Eren tried to talk to me, but I rode home in silence, ignoring the roars and the energy that flowed through me from the speed of my horse. I hope the near future gets better, so the far future would be slightly easier to go through. Eren's knocking at my door, I'll have to go for now, bye journal... 


	9. Fourth Month- January (Part 1)

Gwen stepped up the stairs to the mansion where they trained, gripping her bag and prepared to avoid Levi at all costs, when Eren and his friend, Mikasa, walked up from behind, and without a word from either soldier, they dragged her to Levi's quarters. She complained and, dropping her bag, tried to fight back, but Eren's grip was like steel, Mikasa's grip slightly less than steel, and she was able to shake off the taller girl. Mikasa ran back to grab her bag and disappeared to the training field. It had been seven weeks since the failed mission, and she has last seen her boss, Levi. The rough escort brought her to his door, and Gwen looked at Eren doubtfully. "Why, Eren? Why are you making me face him? You know-" Gwen stops as Levi's door opens and he comes out, grinning at Eren, who flinches at her words. "Thanks, Jaeger, you may go. I'll take care of her, don't you worry," He steps into his room and she grasps Eren's hand, whispering to stand at the door and protect her. Gwen follows Levi into a clean room, cleaner than anything she had seen before, and she had to smile at that. Levi motioned for her to sit on a nice couch and she did so, Levi sitting on her other side.

"I get that you're scared that I'm going to make you resign your post because of your sudden turn to what appears to be your dark side in battle. I just want to know one thing, one thing only," Levi began without any preamble. Gwen nods, too astonished to say anything because of how close Levi is getting to the truth about her, and Levi smiles warmly at her, an uncharacteristic thing of him to do, which only made her more terrified of her captor. "I want you to be as honest with yourself as you are with me when I ask the question, so make your peace now," Levi says next and Gwen sighs, trying to do as he requested. She nods at Levi and he finishes his speech, "Have you been able to control your dark side in battle against those members of humanity you have killed?" Levi asks and her eyes widen, it takes all her strength not to run out, crying, and Gwen nods once. "How did you know I killed people?" Gwen asks in a shaky voice and Levi hands her a folder that she hadn't noticed before. Gwen opened it and saw that there was a number of pictures and witness confessions. She looked at the pictures first and saw that, of all the pictures, only one clearly showed her face. For the first time, Gwen was able to see what she looked like when she went into her "dark state". Her hair was darker colored, the gold almost gone, the red like fresh blood, her body was surrounded by a reddish aura and her pale face had a bluish green tinge to it, but it was her eyes that scared her the most. They were black as pitch, the color of the night, and one corner of her eye dripped a liquid, that Gwen had to look closer to see what it was. The liquid looked vaguely like blood, her blood.

She threw down the picture in revulsion and looked at the confessions, reading them quickly and noticing minute details about her fighting and the descriptions of her. The whole time, Levi was watching her, and when she was done, she knew she had to get rid of the evidence, starting with the man in front of her. She begins to shake with an uncontrollable rage and before Levi had time to react, she had him pinned to the ground and her knife was out, pressed to his throat. Levi's eyes were wide and he clearly looked scared, but that didn't stop Gwen from plunging the knife into his heart. A hand from behind grabbed her and forced her knife to skitter away underneath Levi's desk and Gwen turned, kicking her assailant in the face and flipping Levi so that he is thrown against a wall. She runs to the desk and grabs her knife, and takes off, running to the door, but there are two guards there. She grins and dodges the first guard's punch, elbowing him in the neck so that he is down before she has a chance to catch her breath. The other guard is down quickly as well and she rips open the door, running away, past Eren and Mikasa, who both stand and run after her, Eren calling out her name. Gwen ran outside and saw her bag lying in the sun next to what appeared to be Eren's bag and picked it up, not breaking her pace. Behind her, she could hear the sounds of the angry guards and Levi talking to Eren, Levi's pissed off tone, Eren's scared face, told her all she needed to know. Gwen understood she'd have to go into hiding because not only had she become known as a killer, but she had attacked and very nearly killed her superior officer. She took off to the east, deciding to go to the Walls, where she had a friend to help her for this purpose. Gwen ran to the corral and grabbed one of the horses, to the surprise of the guards, and spurred the horse into action, running into the forest without a second thought. Gwen didn't breathe until she was well away from the people she had known as long as she had known her foster mother, her sister...no.

She would not think about Amity, her older sister, the most painful thing of all. But it was too late. Gwen fell off her horse and clutched her chest, eyes dripping tears, as she went back to that moment when she saw Amity eaten by the Titan, right before her eight-year-old eyes. It was not as traumatic as when she had lost her foster mother, but it was damn close. Gwen wondered for the first time, what if her sister had survived instead of her? It was a terrible thought, but at least her kind, gentle sister would be here, in her place. She'd know what to do, she would help her. Gwen unbridled her horse and let it graze while she crawled underneath a tree and cried, lost in her memories. It wasn't long before she fell into a dreamless sleep for the first time since she and Eren had gotten together.

Eren sat in Verity's room, looking at the only picture of her that she had. It was of an eight-year-old her and a woman in the Garrison branch and she was healthy and happy, but her eyes betrayed her true emotions. Verity had carried her sadness of the loss of everyone she loved since that horrible day that had changed so many lives, the breach of Wall Maria. He remembered a long-buried memory of a girl very much like the one in the picture. Eren was about to board the boat to escape Shigashima with his two friends, Mikasa and Armin, when he turned away from Armin. He had felt a strong pull from someone behind him, and he searched the crowd, looking for the source. His young eyes rested on a tiny girl who was being pulled away from the crowd by a member of the Garrison, a woman with black hair and pained, green eyes. The pull came not from the woman, but the girl, who, with her golden-red hair and wide, pale blue eyes, looked like he did just hours ago, the loss of her family etched on her face. The girl turned and saw him, her wide eyes growing even wider when she saw him, and she pulled away briefly from the woman, going toward him, until she stopped, allowing herself to be pulled back by the woman and led away. Eren wanted to run to the girl and hug her close so very badly, but he didn't even know her. Mikasa grabbed his arm and pulled him away, still looking at the little girl with the beautiful hair and blue eyes.

Eren smiled in the present, jolting him back, and he made a promise to himself. He'd find her and go into hiding with her, just to protect his Verity from any harm, both to herself and to others. He pushed the chair back from her desk and picked up his bag, tucking the picture into it, and leaving her room, locking the door behind him with the key she gave him. He decided to go visit a man who lived close to the Walls, a man who runaways and deserters of the military went to frequently to get passage both inside Wall Sina and outside Wall Rose. Eren knew that, if Verity got out of the forest she escaped into had gotten out safely, she would seek him out first. He set off for the rumored area where the man lived, not expecting to see her there, but at least to hang out for her. Eren reminded himself that he wasn't a runaway or a deserter, but that he was going to defend his girlfriend from everyone and ultimately help to bring peace between Verity and Levi. Eren smiled to himself again and went forward, not realizing that he was going into a danger that would put himself and Verity at terrible risk.


	10. Fourth Month- January (Part 2)

Two weeks later:

Gwen stood in the shadows of the alleyway behind a house, waiting for her contact to make himself known to her. It had been two weeks since she had attacked and nearly murdered Captain Levi, and Gwen knew that she was wanted now. She saw the posters declaring the reward for information of her whereabouts and/or capture, and she went for a lot of money. That was to be expected, seeing as how she had her powers and all, but Levi wouldn't want to make her that publicized without a very good reason. Attacking him may be a good reason, but it wasn't the best reason to put forth since it would raise some questions of how she was able to defeat him in combat. He couldn't just say, "'This girl is actually a human with Titan powers, minus the ability to transform, and she's a powerful ally, but very hard to control,'" because then she would become bait for the citizens to kill her or brutally hurt her and she would be forced to use her dangerous side in combat against the people she swore to protect.

The bushes rustled just as Gwen thought this and she pulled out the same knife she used to threaten Levi, pointing it dangerously. A man in a brown cloak came out, hands up in a gesture of surrender, and Gwen lowered her knife slowly. She took off the full-face black felt mask she wore everywhere now and looked at the figure. "Are you my contact, Ethan Sekurit, the man who can get me outside Wall Rose?" Gwen rasped in a voice that she barely used in the two weeks she'd become a criminal, and the figure nodded, taking off his hood. A man with chestnut hair and gray eyes stood before her, the description of Ethan Sekurit that she was given by the person who had referred her to him. "Yes, I am the contact. Please come with me," Sekurit walked off toward his house and Gwen followed a few paces behind him. She sheathed her blade and put on her mask again as they went out into the open street and up to his house.

She wasn't prepared for the shock that welcomed her there- or the bone-crushing hug that greeted her. After Gwen's ribs were sufficiently broken enough, the figure who tackled her stepped back and pulled off the gray cloak hood that covered his face, which had a huge grin painted across his mouth and his wide emerald eyes open even wider. It was Eren! She shrieked and tackled him, hugging him tightly, forgetting that she was wanted or that she had nearly murdered her captain. She finally pulled away and looked up at her love, eyes shining, and kissed him gently, passionately, stroking his hair, music rippling through her head. After Gwen was adequately reacquainted with the body and lips of Eren, she turned back toward Ethan, face burning bright red, and handed him a bag of coins from her plentiful stash for board for the next week. Ethan reluctantly accepted the money with a murmured "Thanks," and went to prepare her room.

Eren grinned at her, clearly at a loss to ask her what had happened, and failed to notice the red light of a time bomb attach itself to the ground just below the two of them. Gwen pulled off her mask and wool cap she wore to cover her hair, tucking them into her bag which was hidden under her cloak. Eren watched her, then suddenly remembered what had galvanized him to find her. Eren's hand went to his bag, which was slung around the chair he'd been sitting in since day one, and he pulled out a photo of a woman with black hair and smiling, green eyes, and a girl with long red hair and blue eyes that carried so much sadness. It was of her and Celia, her foster mother, the member of the Garrison who'd left her position to take care of young Gwen (then known as Verity). Gwen's shaking hands took the photo out of Eren's hands and, in that moment, the bomb exploded, raining down rubble and burying an unconscious and bleeding Eren underneath the worst of the wreckage.

Gwen was thrown back, away from the remains of the house, bloody and barely alive. She checked out the cuts, scrapes, lacerations across her arms, chest, face, forehead, legs, hands, even a deep cut on her midsection. It took her some time to stand, wiping blood from her face, and it hit her in full force. Where was Eren? She ran into the wrecked house, digging into the stone and bricks, sobbing and screaming, not bothering to heal her wounds, not feeling the pain that shot through her body every time she moved. Suddenly, from behind her, two sets of arms grabbed hers and pulled her to her feet, walking her away from the ruins. Gwen screamed even more, tried to fight, but her powers seemed to have abandoned her. She was powerless, at the crucial moment when the one man she cared the most was buried, most likely dead, under the house. The fight went out of her at that thought and the soldiers turned her around, away from the house, and toward Levi, who waited at a carriage that was clearly meant to transport Gwen to her death.

Her wounds slowly began smoking, healing themselves, as she was pushed into the carriage. One of the soldiers got in next to her, while the other went to the front, clearly the driver. Levi got in last, sitting across from her, and waited until the carriage started moving before starting to speak. "You're not in serious trouble, but only if you cooperate with us," Levi began and Gwen couldn't hold it in anymore. "You let Eren die just to make sure you got me! You fucking soulless douchebag! Why did you risk both of our lives to get me, and lost your golden soldier as a result! You-fucking-ARSE!" Gwen leaped at him, eyes blazing, fingers ready to tear into his flesh, when Levi punched her, hard, in the neck. She fell at Levi's feet, fighting unconsciousness, and sat up, clawing at his legs, but he simply kicked her even harder. The second blow was too much for Gwen, and a blinding red light appeared in front of her gaze, then all was black.

**A/N: Sorry this chapter took so long to be made and it's shortness. I've currently been working on an actual sequel to this story, with a friend of mine, whose story is as good as mine, if not even better. If you're interested, please please check out NateOre and fave our ****collab account: SwiftOre, where I will be uploading part 1 of Through the HellGate- Verity's Choice. In the meantime, please keep an eye out for my upcoming new one-shot about Ymir and Christa as well as a Sword Art Online fanfic that is currently in the works. Also listen to Owl City. He is my muse. For links to the accounts above, check out my profile! See you in Part 3 of January's chapter!**


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